I've just read the first two Justice League of America trades (I'm pretty sure that's all they've put out so far). I guess I've decided that, for this one, at this point, I'm definitely "waiting for the trade." I'd probably mind it less if it wasn't "wait for the hardcover, don't buy it because it's insanely pricey, and then wait for the trade."
Now, I actually did start getting this book in monthly form, so although I gave up on it relatively soon, I actually have read some of the stories before. And I will say that it's far easier to read them in a trade paperback. I know, of course, that this is a modern trend--the whole "writing for the trade" that leads readers to "waiting for the trade" in the first place. I don't necessarily have a problem with it.
However, one of the reasons I dropped the monthly in the first place was that I was finding it to be virtually unreadable on a monthly basis. I couldn't just read the latest book when it arrived and have it make sense--I'd frequently find myself wondering what the heck was going on. So I dropped it. But now that I've read it all at once? Now I can see the story and it's a much more cohesive story.
I will grant that this may have something to do with my own memory and attention span. But writing for the trade is a common practice, and there are plenty of titles that do likewise that I have never had any difficulty following. I don't think it's really an issue of complex storytelling, either--I've been reading Captain America for ages, a book featuring plenty of tight turns and ornate plot twists, and I've never had any problems keeping up. (I do buy the trades and the monthlies for that book, but it's not because I have to. It's because I want to read the story right away and also want to be able to reread it easily.)
Anyway, now I'm caught up on the Justice League. Well, no, actually I'm not--but someday I will be. Okay, no, actually I won't. But this way I'll enjoy the experience.
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